Résumé :
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The objective of this SOP is to describe how treadmill or wheel running exercise can be used to aggravate the dystrophic phenotype in mdx mice to better determine the benefits, if any, of a specific treatment. Mdx mice have a less severe phenotype than humans, and therefore, specific exercise can be used to worsen the phenotype. For the treadmill, mice are subjected to an enforced running paradigm where speed, duration and elevation (typically down hill running) are used to increase muscle injury. For the wheel running, mice voluntarily run on a wheel in their cage. However, the frequency, intensity and duration of the wheel running can also be modified. Thus, exercise can be used to intensify the mechanical stress on muscle fibers to prolong the “degenerative phase” spontaneously observed around 3-4 weeks of age, and thereby determine if a treatment is effective in reducing this aggravated disease state. While the purpose of this SOP is to describe an approach to aggravate the dystrophic phenotype, specific exercise protocols or experimental conditions can also be used as a potential therapeutic approach to muscular dystrophy. These are not described in this SOP.
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